72 / 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

17 Quaint gate.jpg
一百八法明門
IPPYAKUHACHI-HOMYOMON
One Hundred and Eight Gates of Dharma-Illumination

[72] Entrustment as a part of the state of truth, is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for [with it] conduct is already managed.

Entrustment is a foundational, experiential state in Buddhism, particularly within Pure Land and Mahayana traditions, referring to the total surrender of self-will and reliance upon the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha. It is not merely blind faith, but rather the "state of truth" where the practitioner realizes their own limitations and is embraced by the boundless compassion of the Dharma. In the Lotus Sutra, Chapter 22 refers to where Shakyamuni entrusts the propagation of the Dharma to bodhisattvas, symboliz- -ing the passing of truth from Buddha to disciple. So, you could say
entrustment is the experiential realization of truth, transforming a person from a self-reliant ego into a participant in the Buddha's boundless compassion and wisdom.

What, if any of this have you encountered in your practice?

合掌,生開
gassho, Shokai
stlah
仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai
"Open to life in a benevolent way"

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

When I hear “entrustment,” I don’t immediately think of belief. I think of letting go of the illusion of control.

I’ve always had an instinctive distrust of systems that say “this is the way,” especially when they lean on hierarchy or authority. That streak probably explains my long affection for the "rebellious Zen types" , so for me, entrustment was never going to mean blind submission to an external power.

In life, I’ve found that when the self relaxes its grip, life conducts life. The Dharma does the Dharma. What needs to be done tends to get done, and often more cleanly than when I was trying to orchestrate it.

In shikantaza especially, effort eventually reveals its limits. You sit, you try to calm the mind, you try to “be present,” and you begin to see that even the trying is agitation. At some point, practice shifts from self-improvement to simple allowing. Breathing breathes. Thoughts think. Conditions unfold. Conduct manages itself when interference quiets.

As my dad would say, "Let go of life and let life live."

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah

[Tenryu]

I think I encounter it as a loosening of the urge to manage everything. Sometimes in sitting there are moments where I stop steering so much. Breathing continues, thoughts move through, posture holds itself. Practice goes on without much help from me. In those moments, things seem to take care of themselves. Not perfectly, but simply. A small sense that I don’t have to run the whole show.

Gasshō,
Tenryū
satt LaH

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

I know from past years there are a few Gates that just don’t resonate with me. This seems to be one of them. Maybe it is just the way it is expressed.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Seikan]

This is an interesting Gate. On the surface, it does make me think of belief or faith, yet there is something different about it. Looking at the SZTP translation for comparison yields the following:

""The factor of awakening of alleviation is a gateway to the illumination of the dharma, for what is done is taken care of."

I'm not sure that "alleviation" resonates any better with me compared to "entrustment", but it's good to consider an alternative translation in this case. As described above, this Gate doesn't feel so much as a form of blind faith. For me, it conveys more of a deep sense of trust in the Dharma. It is as if I know deep down that things will work out as they must according to the Dharma for it is always steering my in the right direction, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. And as such, I generally have no problem surrendering many (but still not all—I have work to do) of my fears and worries to the will of the Dharma.

I tend to feel this "entrustment" through the deepening sense of acceptance that comes from our zazen practice. When I am able to accept things as they manifest, I start to see how everything is unfolding in accord with the Dharma, and therefore my trust in the Dharma to guide me forward is strengthened accordingly.



Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Chikyou]

This is something I feel in a deep, quiet, subtle way. I can’t quite put my finger on it, I can’t describe it. It’s there, in the background.

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Choujou]

This gate is something profound to me… this is a knowing beyond knowing… a becoming of the truth. When one has a direct experience of Buddha, then it is not a blind faith but a knowing that when you think/speak/act, it is not coming from small mind or ego, but from the wisdom of Buddha. We learn the Dharma, then we practice what we learn, and then become the Buddhadharma, and having developed skillful means, we teach the dharma through our words and actions. Entrustment here is just knowing that Buddha will take care of everything (through all Buddhas/Bodhisattvas) as it should be taken care of, and in the best way possible.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today